This invention relates generally to seals for motor vehicles. More particularly, this invention relates to the under hood area and for a seal although for multiple tasks, in particular designed to seal the space between an engine cooling system package and the hood of a vehicle.
Motor vehicles have engines and these engines are usually provided with cooling from radiators installed in a cooling package. Both the engine and the cooling package are installed under a hood of the vehicle. The hood contains a grille through which a fan of the cooling package draws air. The air passes over the cooling coils of radiator causing heat transfer of energy from the engine coolant system. The top of the cooling package in most cases is spaced below the inner surface of the hood. A flexible seal is generally provided between the top of the cooling package and the hood to prevent the flow of hot air from the air outlet of the radiator to re-circulate back to the air inlet of the radiator. This air recirculation seal has in the past been engaged to the cooling package by use of an adhesive or by separate metal carrier for a retaining clip. The metal carrier was separately engaged to the flexible portion of the seal. The adhesive quality of the tape and secondary process capability is dependent on the preparation and condition of the surface. The overall height is restricted when the seal is run with a metal carrier in the extrusion die.
Drivers of commercial vehicles such as medium and heavy trucks are required to perform pre operational checks on a daily basis. Some of these checks require the opening of the hood. As a result, seals between the hood and cooling package undergo repetitive stress and the connection between the seals and the cooling package become worn out and the seal disengages. This is true for any seal on a closure door that is frequently operated including vehicle doors and other parts of vehicle hoods.
Accordingly, there is a need for an air re-circulation seal for engagement to a cooling package such that such engagement can undergo the repetitive stresses of frequent hood opening. Additionally, there is a need for a seal for other frequently operated closure doors such as to a vehicle passenger compartment doors, vehicle hoods, and automotive trunks that can also undergo similar repetitive stresses.
As a result a primary object of the invention is to provide an air re-circulation seal for engagement to a vehicle cooling package such the engagement of the seal to the cooling package can undergo the repetitive stresses of frequent hood opening. A secondary object of the invention is to provide a seal for other frequently operated closure doors such as to a vehicle passenger compartment doors, vehicle hoods, and automotive trunks that can also undergo similar repetitive stresses. An additional secondary objective is remove the need for the use of adhesives when engaging vehicle seal. The present invention satisfies the stated objects of invention as well as others not stated. The present invention provides a flexible seal that does not require tape or a metal carrier to be added to the seal. There is a tree insert on the lower portion of the seal that is pushed without tools into a continuous slot or a series of slots that are spaced along the flat mounting surface. When the seal of this invention is mounted adjacent to an edge of a panel or surface, a retaining clip feature can be added along with the tree insert to aid in retaining the seal during the open and close cycle or compression and un-compressed state. There is an upper seal portion engaged to a lower portion. This upper portion is made of a material of a different flexibility than the lower portion. In one embodiment, the lower portion with the tree and the retaining clip, if used, is made of a dense rubber and the upper portion is a cellular sponge.